Bonding
by LoveFromLiberty
Summary: After Anakin learns about Padme's pregnancy, while spending the night with her, he decides to bond with his child...or rather children!


BONDING

Anakin woke up breathing heavily. He looked around him as to realize where he was. To his relief he was still in Padme's apartment, on her bed, right next to her. "It was only a dream" he whispered in order to calm himself. In fact it was nowhere near a dream. It was a nightmare. And it would torture him every time he chose to close his eyes to get some much needed sleep.

He would see his Beloved, his Angel, crying screaming his name with a shaky voice, trying to touch him with her trembling hands and eventually dying, while he heard her baby, THEIR baby, crying. It was tormenting him. 'Why was she dying? Why wasn't he there to help her? Was the baby going to live? Was it alright?' Before he even realized tears had started forming in his sky blue eyes. He raised his hand to wipe them away, while they were running down his face. He would find a way to save her; he promised to himself. No matter what he needed to achieve his goal, he would protect her from anything that tried to harm her. He didn't care about the consequences; he didn't even care if he had to sacrifice his own life to save her and their little child. She was the air that he breathed and without her he would die.

He turned around to face her. She was sleeping peacefully, her back turned at him. Her chocolate curls were wrapped all around her elegant face some of them finding their way down her body, while others expanding the other way towards the pillows and him.

The dim lights of Coruscant at night invaded the room through the slightly open window spreading all over and illuminating her beautiful sleeping form. She was truly an angel. HIS ANGEL.

He used his flesh arm to remove her tangled hair away from her as to make her feel more comfortable. Then he moved a little bit further as to watch her entire body. One of her hands was under her head supporting it and the other one was wrapped around her large belly protectively. Her legs were bent towards her belly but not to close as not to harm the baby. That was the only position in which she could balance her ever-changing-due to the pregnancy-body and bring herself to sleep.

He focused his eyes at her extended abdomen. He kept wondering if he would ever be a good father. He had been dreaming this ever since he had first seen her but as the years past, he had started having his doubts if he would ever see her again. And now there they were. Together, married and soon to be parents. He couldn't have wished for more. He just hoped that their life could stay like this. That they could be together and that they wouldn't have to worry about the war.

He also wished that they didn't have to hide their love from the rest of the world. That they could express their feelings in public without having to worry about what others would think or say.

He slowly lifted Padme's nightgown to her chest and covered her legs with the sheets leaving only her belly exposed. He looked at her carefully. When he first found out that she was pregnant, the first couple of seconds after she had told him in the senate that day, he was terrified, not so much because of the consequences it would have on his life. He didn't care if he would be expelled from the order and he cared even less about what the rest of the world would think. But he was scared because he didn't know if he was going to be a good father. He was afraid that he might not be capable of bringing up a child. He hadn't expected it to happen so soon. He was still too young to have the necessary experience to raise a kid.

But those thoughts vanished the moment they made their appearance. It was what he had been dreaming and he would never let something like those worries get him down. Besides he had Padme by his side and as long he had his Angel everything was fine. As he had told her it was the happiest moment in his life.

He gently rested his flesh hand on her large belly. It seemed so strange that a life could fit in there. He started drawing shapes with his fingers gently over her skin. And that's when he felt it. It was a tiny kick from Padme's belly, a tiny leg trying to touch him and it did touch him making his heart melt from the pure happiness that was consuming him for what felt like the first time in forever. It was the sweetest sensation in the entire universe. He placed his hand once more on Padme's belly and this time he felt a tiny hand punching his. Padme had always told him how the baby would react when he was around, that it would punch and kick her trying to draw his attention, but he never got to experience it like this. It was overwhelming.

"Why are you awake little one?" he whispered. "You should be resting little angel. Don't tell your Mommy I called you like that, she might be a little jealous" he added whispering and giggled.

While he relaxed and was about to sleep a strange thought came to his mind. He decided to explore a little bit further. He cleared his mind from all thoughts and opened himself completely to the Force, letting it flow freely through him. He could feel a powerful light surrounding him. He concentrated all his thoughts on the tiny little life inside his wife, his child and tried to see it through the Force. He was sure he would find his little princess-cause he was sure the baby was a girl-his daughter's Force presence. And indeed he was right. There she was, the sweetest person in the universe. But as he kept exploring through the Force he found something he couldn't quite believe. He sensed another presence. It was a little boy. His son. So Padme was right too.

Before he even realized it the tears that had formed in his eyes were now running down his face. But this time they weren't tears of fears and sorrow, but tears of joy and happiness. He was thrilled. They were twins. He was going to be the father of twins. He tried to show them his feelings through the Force, to show them that he was excited and a little bit of shocked (to be honest with himself) from what he had sensed.

What he couldn't believe, though, was the fact that he actually got an answer. The twins were not even born and they were already strong with the Force. He couldn't sense much from them but their love for their parents and he was truly touched. He kept sending the twins his love through the Force while he continued his trip with his fingers on Padme's belly.

"Don't worry little ones." he whispered as though not to wake his wife. "I' m going to keep you safe no matter what it takes. I won't let anyone hurt you babies. I would give up everything even my own life just to make sure that you are safe. You are my life. You, just like your mother, are the air that I breathe. Without you my life would be meaningless. My love for you is as deep and strong as the number of stars in the universe. I will protect you from everything that may be threatening you. And I promise you that, although I know that I'm not the most responsible person as Obi-Wan would have said or the entire Jedi Order or your mother for that matter, I will try to always be there for you no matter what. I want you to know that you can always trust me. I love you."

He kept rubbing his wife's belly with his flesh hand. 'How could I have been so blind? How couldn't I see that there were two? That they were twins?' he thought. He expanded his Force presence one more time to sense them again. "Goodnight little ones. I love you." He whispered. And the babies responded sending him back their love. He couldn't feel more happy or complete. He could sense them asking for him, needing him closer and that's what he did. He moved closer to his wife hugging her protectively with his left hand. His hopes for the future had been renewed. Nothing seemed as dark as it was before. Now he could see a light in the future, even if it was still dim. There was hope, and there will always be hope.


End file.
